Modeling asphaltene precipitation in a compositional reservoir simulator using three-phase equilibrium

摘要

Predicting asphaltene precipitation and its deposition in the porous media is key in understanding costly productivity impairment caused by formation damage. This work presents the development and application of a compositional reservoir simulator including the effects of asphaltene precipitation on production. Precipitation from the liquid mixture occurs as its solubility is reduced either by changes in pressure (natural depletion), or by composition (mixing with another fluid, such as in gas injection). Our approach represents asphaltene as the dense liquid phase computed from a three-phase flash (vapor/liquid/liquid equilibrium VLLE) using the Peng Robinson equation of state.